Fast Facts

Fordham University seeks an Executive Director for the Feerick Center for Social Justice to lead initiatives combating poverty, manage staff, and secure financial support, while fostering collaboration within the community and the university.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include leading justice initiatives, managing personnel, overseeing grant funding, and developing strategic partnerships with external organizations.

Skills: Required skills include a Juris Doctor degree, experience in legal and program development, grant management, and strong communication and strategic thinking abilities.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include proficiency in Spanish and experience with donor fundraising and immigration issues.

Location: This position is located in New York, New York, USA, with no travel required.

Compensation: $150000 - $180000 / Annually

Executive Director, Feerick Center for Social Justice

School Of Law, Lincoln Center

Fordham University

Fordham University has an excellent reputation as a dynamic institution located in New York City. Founded in 1841, Fordham enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students in its 9 Colleges and Schools. 

• Fordham University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to its employees, which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We offer tuition remission  for employees and their dependents 
• A generous employer match towards a 403(b) retirement plan .
• As a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Fordham is considered a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness  (PSLF) program, a federal program designed to forgive student loan debt for employees of certain public and certain nonprofit employers.
• As part of its work-life balance program, the University provides generous PTO including 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 4 personal days, 6 summer Fridays, and holidays that include paid time off between Christmas and New year.  
• University employees have access to the  Employee Assistance Program  (EAP) . EAP provides no-cost, professional, and confidential services, to help employees and family members address a variety of personal, family, life, and work-related issues.

Position Summary

The Executive Director leads and manages the Feerick Center, reporting to Senior Counsel and working in collaboration with the Center’s Faculty Advisor and the Center’s Advisory Board. The Executive Director’s leadership responsibilities include: development and operation of justice initiatives; recruitment and management of personnel; securing financial support for the Center through philanthropy and grants, as well as grant management and reporting; internal and external communications; and developing and maintaining collaborative and strategic relationships with partner organizations and programs within Fordham and in the broader community.

The Center will celebrate its 20th Anniversary next year and anticipates that the new ED will lead the Center through a strategic planning process that sets a course for the future to ensure that the Center draws on its strengths as a social justice center situated at a major law school that is part of a vibrant university in order to maximize its impact in the years ahead.

Essential Functions        

• Leads the creation, development, planning, and management of the Center’s justice initiatives focused on combating poverty
• Serves as a liaison to outside Center partners, including bar associations, community-based service providers, legal services organizations, government agencies, court personnel and officials, and advocacy groups.
• Manages and recruits professional staff, administrative staff, grant-funded staff, law student fellows, and volunteers in carrying out the administrative and programmatic work of the Center.
• Supervises and manages compliance with grant funding, as well as seeks and applies for new sources of grant funding.
• Assists the Law School’s Senior Director of Development and other senior staff on development efforts.
• Directs marketing, publicity, and communications efforts in conjunction with the Law School’s Communications Department.
• Works with the Co-Chairs of the Center’s Advisory Board to support their leadership of the Advisory Board
• Collaborates with the Center’s Senior Counsel and Faculty Director in strategic planning and program development
• Mentors and supervises law students, legal interns, fellows, and/or Vista Members.
• Supports, trains, and works with volunteers.

Essential Functions Note

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Management Responsibilities  

Provides strategic leadership and supervises others who supervise. Responsible for hiring, training, developing, managing performance, administering corrective action, makes compensation decisions and for managing strategic views at a high level.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience        

• Juris Doctor degree with NYS bar admission and current good standing.
• Minimum of 10 years of legal and professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the development of programs, demonstrated expertise in an anti-poverty/justice substantive area, and management experience.
• Litigation experience.
• Demonstrated experience with pro bono and volunteer programs.
• Demonstrated experience with grants management and grants applications.
• Experience mentoring, teaching, or supervising law students, recent law school grads, young lawyers, interns, fellows, and/or Vista members.

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills     

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest initiatives
• Demonstrated collaborative ability.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage projects effectively.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking.
• Excellent professional judgement, ability to assess risk in international legal frameworks, and commitment to principles of confidentiality.
• Strong communication skills.
• Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education

Preferred Qualifications 

Strongly Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional proficiency in Spanish
• Experience with individual donor fundraising
• Experience with convening and planning conferences and fundraising events

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional proficiency in languages other than Spanish and English.
• Experience and demonstrated expertise in the areas of immigration and/or consumer protection

Minimum Starting Salary: $150,000

Maximum Starting Salary: $180,000

Note: Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and skills.

START DATE: ASAP

APPLY HERE: https://careers.fordham.edu/postings/9347

ABOUT FORDHAM

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its 9 colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom. 

Fordham University is committed to excellence through diversity and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.

Fordham is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories